My Solar Sister Fellowship Journey
My name is Georgette Udo; I am a graduate of Photovoltaics for Green Hydrogen Technology.
I love to design and pass across information in creative ways. My eagerness to learn and garner experience brought me to this incredible opportunity as the Special Project Fellow at
Solar Sisters for the Constellation fellowship, sponsored by the Global Warming Mitigation Project.
This experience has been more than just a professional milestone; it has been a testament to the transformative power of women’s
entrepreneurship and sustainable energy solutions. Solar Sister deploys a market-based model to establish clean energy businesses for women by recruiting, training, and supporting entrepreneurs in communities facing energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, equipping them to become clean energy entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs sell sustainable energy products, such as solar lights and clean cook stoves, to women in last-mile communities, helping them alleviate poverty.
This lessens the women’s reliance on wood, provides them with a source of money, and frees up
their time for other pursuits.
During my internship as a special project fellow, I was tasked with helping upgrade Solar Sister’s website. Several key objectives drove this project:
- Reflecting Organizational Growth: The new website aims to mirror Solar Sister’s
journey and achievements over the years. - Enhancing User Experience: It’s vital for visitors to engage seamlessly with the
platform. - Increasing Visibility: A dynamic website ensures that Solar Sister’s remarkable work
reaches a global audience. - Staying Current: In today’s fast-paced digital world, keeping up with design trends
is essential for staying relevant. My tasks included learning the essentials of WordPress, backend development, drafting
content, and collaborating with the C-suite team. These responsibilities strengthened my
technical skills and deepened my appreciation for the strategic planning that drives impactful change.Some major lessons I have learned from this fellowship:
● The power of collaboration. Working with the teams across different time zones and
getting their prompt response showed their commitment to us achieving the goal of a
website rebrand. This was also seen with the C-suite when we went over different
drafts and their different perspectives, and a fresh pair of eyes was a good way to
learn.
● Innovation is not just a buzzword; it’s the heart of adaptability and growth. Solar
sisters have found ways and structures that are unique to them in ensuring they get
data and can track their entrepreneurs and support them on their journey.
● Building a website is not just about aesthetics; it’s about telling a story and creating a
user journey that resonates.
The great things that Solar Sisters are doing deserve the attention so this rebrand is to showcase it and urge people to be a part of
it.
My Hopes for the Future
As this chapter comes to a close, I carry with me aspirations for Solar Sister:
● That the new website truly reflects the incredible work being done to empower
women.
● That my contributions facilitate a smooth implementation of this digital
transformation.
● That the visibility gained helps more communities learn about and join the movement.
I honed my skills in website development, and learned the power of collaboration through
this fellowship. It is indeed a stepping stone in my professional and personal journey, and I
am excited to see how Solar Sister continues to shine brightly, lighting up lives and
communities around the world.